General information

Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.

Figure 1. Mapped extent

Areas shown in blue indicate the maximum mapped extent of this ecological site. Other ecological sites likely occur within the highlighted areas. It is also possible for this ecological site to occur outside of highlighted areas if detailed soil survey has not been completed or recently updated.

MLRA notes

Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 139X–Lake Erie Glaciated Plateau

This area is mostly the northwest portion of the Allegheny Plateau, which is a gently to strongly rolling, and dissected glaciated highland. Along the north escarpment is a narrow band of flat plains along Lake Erie. Stream valleys are narrow and are not deeply incised, but the valley walls are typically steep. In some areas the interfluves are broad and nearly level. Elevation ranges from 174 m on Lake Erie to 663 m (570 to 2175 ft) increasing from north to south. Local topographic relief averages 20 m and ranges up to 267 m (65 to 875 ft) (unpublished analysis of digital elevation model downloaded from USGS, 2015).

Most of the rivers in this MLRA flow north to Lake Erie. Other rivers flowing south are part the Ohio River system, including headwaters of the Ohio River, in the northeast corner of this area, in Pennsylvania. The headwaters of the Muskingum River are in the central part of the area, in Ohio. The Grand River is designated as a National Wild and Scenic River in northeastern Ohio.

The bedrock in this area consists mostly of alternating beds of sandstone, siltstone, and shale of upper Devonian, Mississippian, and Pennsylvanian age (USDA-NRCS, 2022). Shale units are dominant closer to the surface along Lake Erie and the western edge of the area. The surface is mantled with glacial till, outwash of unconsolidated sand and gravel, glacial lake sediments, and stratified drift deposits (kames and eskers). The outwash, lake sediments, and stratified drift deposits that fill valleys are important sources of ground water. Younger stream deposits cover the glacial deposits in some of the river valleys.

The dominant soil order in this MLRA is Alfisols (USDA-NRCS, 2022). The soils in the area dominantly have a mesic soil temperature regime, an aquic or udic soil moisture regime, and mixed or illitic mineralogy. They are very deep, well drained to poorly drained, and loamy or clayey. The calcareous till on the northwestern lowland till plains have generally higher clay content and are dominated by Epiaqualfs (Mahoning series). Hapludalfs formed in outwash deposits on outwash plains, terraces, kames, and beach ridges (Chili series), and in till on till plains (Ellsworth series).

In contrast, the southeastern plateau has till capped with loess which is lower in carbonates and lower in clay relative to silt. Here fragipans commonly develop into Fragiudalfs (Canfield, Rittman, and Wooster series) and Fragiaqualfs (Frenchtown, Platea, Ravenna, Sheffield, Venango, and Wadsworth series) formed in till. This low carbonate/low clay trend combined with increased slope results in otherwise loamy soils with less clay film development, Dysdrudepts (Allard), becoming more common eastward. The southeast edge of the region was not glaciated during the most recent (Wisconsin) glaciation. Accordingly, the till deposits are more highly weathered and depleted of their bases as Fragiaquults (Alvira) and Fragiudults (Hanover). Due to the shallow nature of the glacial drift (plus any residuum and colluvium) towards the southeastern extreme of the MLRA, some of the soil series have bedrock within 50 cm and are thereby classified in Lithic subgroups, which are otherwise rare. The southern MLRA boundary is marked by unglaciated colluvium and residuum (mostly Dysdrudepts and Hapludults).

This area supports a matrix of North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest on the west across a wide range of upland substrates and drainage classes, but mostly on flat to rolling, somewhat poorly drained fine tills (Landfire, 2017; Whitney, 1982). The matrix forest type transitions to Appalachian (Hemlock) Northern Hardwood Forest to the east (a function of increased precipitation and elevations, and decreasing calcium in the till). The transition to northern hardwoods may be geographically approximated with a separate ecological inference area starting near the Pennsylvania state line, eastward. The extensive flat interfluve areas of fragipans and episaturated poorly drained tills may have patches of North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods, whereas wetlands on loamy outwash lowlands are Central Interior and Appalachian Swamp Systems. Larger streams and river floodplains host Central Interior and Appalachian Floodplain Systems, but smaller creek margins may be more consistent with Central Interior and Appalachian Riparian Systems. In more rugged topography, concave slopes, particularly in older till areas is convergent with the concept of South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest of unglaciated areas to the south. Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest feathers into the area near Native American village sites due to local fire use, but also on convex slopes, coarser parent material, and older, more weathered till and residuum. Some outliers of Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland and Central Appalachian Dry Oak-Pine Forest may occur along sandstone outcrops and convex slopes on thin drift toward the southeastern edge of the area.

About three-fourths of this area is in farms. Feed grains (corn, soybeans, winter wheat, and oats) and forage (grass-legume hay, tall fescue pasture, and alfalfa hay) for dairy cattle are the main crops in the western part of the area. Similar crops are grown in the eastern part, where there are many part-time farms and many rural residences. The area has some cow-calf operations. Some areas are used for potatoes or small fruit crops. A large amount of the milk produced in the area is converted to cheese. The areas of hardwood forest in the MLRA are mainly in farm woodlots. Sawlogs for rough construction, firewood, and some high-quality sawlogs for specialty uses are harvested from the numerous farm woodlots. Some large holdings are used for watershed protection. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Pymatuning State Park (Pennsylvania), Presque Isle State Park (Pennsylvania), and Erie National Wildlife Refuge are among the more notable conservation lands.

Summary of existing land use (USGS, 2011):
Upland Forest (39%)
Hardwood (33%)
Conifer (3%)
Conifer-Hardwood (3%)
Agricultural (30%)
Developed (24%)
Swamps and Marshes (5%)

Classification relationships

The USFS ecoregion classification for the majority of MLRA 139 is the Humid Temperate Domain, Hot Continental Division, Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province 222, Western Glaciated Allegheny Plateau Section 221F (Cleland et al, 2007). The ecoregion subsection composition is 221Fa (Allegheny Plateau), 221Fb (Grand River-Pymatuning Lowlands), and 221Fc (Akron Kames). Along Lake Erie the land is classified as Midwest Broadleaf Forest Province, Erie and Ontario Lake Plain Section 222I. This narrow strip is subsection 222Ia (Lake Erie Plain). The southeast extreme or MLRA 139 that is of older glacial till and into the adjacent unglaciated MLRAs is classified as Warm Continental Division, Northeastern Mixed Forest Province 211, Northern Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau Section 211G. This small area is subsection 211Ga.

A majority of MLRA 139 is occupied by the EPA ecoregion 61c (Low Lime Drift Plain) with inclusions of 61b (Mosquito Creek/Pymatuning Lowlands), 61d (Erie Gorges), and 61e (Summit Interlobate Area). The northern strip along Lake Erie is 83a (Erie/Ontario Lake Plain) (Omernik and Griffith, 2014). The EPA ecoregions 62d (Unglaciated High Allegheny Plateau) and 70c (Pittsburgh Low Plateau) overlap the older till southern fringe of MLRA 139.

Ecological site concept

The central concept of Dry Calcareous Drift Plains is upland loamy till with calcium carbonate in the profile and no seasonal high watertable (well drained). Vegetation is dominated by moderately shade tolerant dry-mesic forest with a rich herb understory and a moderate fire frequency.

Associated sites

Similar sites

Table 1. Dominant plant species